Improvement in kilns for drying lumber



H. W. OLIVER.

Lumber Drying' Kiln.

No. 35,700. Patented June 24, 1862.v

N. PETERS. Fumo-Lnlmgmphw, wnshmgm". D. c.

PATnNT trice.

H. IV. OLIVER, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN KILNS FOR DRYING LUlVlBER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NO. it, dated June 24, 1S(2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. WV. OLIVER, of the city of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and StateofConnecticut,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Kilns for Drying Lumber; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a central longitudinal vertical section of a kiln with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures. l

This invention consists in certain provisions within a kiln for subjecting the lumber to heat in an atmosphere of steam, whereby the sap is extracted very thoroughly and the lumber ,dried in a very superior manner in a short time.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.`

A A are the outer walls of the kiln, and B is the roof. O O are ledges built all along the sides of the kiln at a suitable distance from the bottom thereof for the support ofthe lumber.

D D are narrow steam-chambers extending the whole length of the sides of the kiln and up to or nearly to the caves of the roof. The parts of these steam-chambers above the ledges C C are formed by mea-ns of perforated or reticulated and wadded partitions a ca. These partitions may be constructed of perforated metal and canvas, having the spaces between them lled with wood shavings, the canvas being toward the interior of the kiln and the perforated metal toward the outer walls; but the said chambers are continued downward within the portions of the side walls below the ledges C G to or nearly to the bottom of the kiln. The ledges C C project into the kiln beyond the partitions a a far enough to give a proper support to the lumber. Below the Y ledges C O there is arranged along the center ofthe kiln a steam-boiler, E, with pipes b b leading to the chambers D D. At each end of the upper part of the kiln there is provided an opening with a shutter, F, which may be opened to any extent required to regulate the draft of steam and air through the kiln, and in each side near the bottom there is provided an opening, g, fitted with a shutter, G, for the admission of cold air to the steamchambers D D when desirable.

H is a doorin one end of the kiln for the introduction of the lumber.

The method of drying the lumber in this kiln is as follows: The sticks I I are arranged transversely, with their ends in contact with the wadded partitions a a, one orboth of which may be movable to be accommodated to lumber of differentlengths. The lower tier of sticks is placed upon the ledges O O, and strips d d are laid upon it lengthwise of the kiln over the ledges O G to receive another tier of sticks I I, upon which similar strips, d d, are placed to receive a third tier of sticks, and so on, as high as may be desired, leaving proper spaces between the sticks of each tier. Fire is then made under or in the flue of the boiler andthe door H is closed. The lumber is then heated by radiation from the b oiler, while steam admitted by the pipes Z1 b from the boiler andair admitted through the openings g g fill the chambers D D, and, escaping through the wadded partitions a a, act directly upon the ends of the sticks and are permitted to circulate bctween them. rIhe wadding in the partitions a a becoming thoroughly moistened by the condensation of a portion ofthe steam by the cold air admitted at g g, keeps the ends of the sticks moist,so that the steam admitted through the partitions a a against them may penetrate the natural channels or pores of the wood, and as the greatest heat from the surface of the boiler is applied at the middle of their length the sap is caused to be rapidly extracted from them. A lively draft being kept up by the openings at F F, the lumber is quickly seasoned. The drying may be completed by shutting off the steam and keeping up the heat applied from the exterior of the boiler for some time longer. l

Vhen the lumber to be dried in one batch is of varying lengths, a packing of shavings should be applied between the shorter pieces and the partitions a a to keep the ends of the sticks well moistened.

The heat may be applied otherwise than by the arrangementof the boiler in the lower part ofthe kiln. For instance, the steam may be admitted to the chambers D D from a boiler outside and the heat applied under the middle ofthe sticks by steam-pipes arranged along J011e central portion of the bottom of the kiln` lVhat I claim als my invention, and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is-

Providinga kiln With steamehambers D D, separated from the dryingehamber or central portion 0f the kiln by means of perforated 01' retieulnted and wadded partitions, and applying heat below the lumber to operate in conjunction with the steam admitted through the saidpartitions,substantiallyashereinspeeified.

H. W. OLIVER. Witnesses:

CHARLES N. JOHNSON,

F. CROSWELL. 

